Hiyori Goes to College the Sequel
by Ika289
Summary: Kirishima Hiyori's back as a feisty freshman at M University...adventures include various misunderstandings, a trip to the hospital, an impending calculus exam, a sassy gay friend, a potential date, and Trifecta in full-fledged parenting mode.
1. Hiyori gets caught redhanded

**So, I got some good feedback on Hiyori Goes to College (****read that first) and figured I'd write a quick one shot sequel as my goodbye present before my big move to the Land of No Internet... whoops, next thing I know, it's a nine chapter fic complete with two new OCs and a reappearance by my favorite douche bag, Kobayashi Seiji. I kept Hiyori kind of feisty, because everyone seemed to like her that way.**

**My most sincere apologies for any typos or continuity errors, as I don't have time to reread/edit like I usually do!**

**Enjoy! Please review...it's the last time I'll get to thank you for reading :D**

**ika**

Hiyori Goes to College... The Sequel!

**Hiyori gets caught red-handed**

Hiyori scowled at her reflection in the mirror and silently cursed herself again. _What on earth possessed me to punch that bastard Kobayashi yesterday?_ She asked herself for the third time that morning. _A slap would have been plenty good enough._

Truth be told, her right hand was _still_ throbbing—in fact, she hadn't been able to sleep well because of the pain. Once the adrenaline of the events had left her system, the sharp ache only seemed to worsen, which is why she found herself now at 6:30am glaring at her rather pale and clammy reflection in the bathroom. She bent down and rooted around for the painkillers they kept under the sink, quickly downing a handful. She quietly exited, making sure not to slam the door, and walked to the kitchen, intent on grabbing a handful of ice before she headed back to her room.

Hiyori silently opened the freezer and was carefully wrapping ice cubes in a hand towel when an unexpected whisper pierced the air.

"Hiyo?"

She whipped around in surprise, smacking her hand on the protruding freezer door.

"Fuck!" she yell-whispered, unable to hide the wince of pain that flashed across her face. "Papa, what are you doing up so early?"

Kirishima Zen was watching her flail around with one eyebrow raised. He coughed once and gave up on the whispering pretense. "Didn't your parents ever teach you not to swear?"

"They taught me _how _to swear," she grumbled under her breath. "Seriously, Dad, why are you awake? It's 6:30 in the morning. It's not the end of your cycle, is it?"

Kirishima glanced guiltily over his shoulder. "I was supposed to sneak back to my room before you woke up," he confessed.

"He still makes you do that?"

Her father shrugged, chuckling. "Yeah, well. I try and pick my battles." Kirishima pulled up a stool and calmly sat down, crossing his arms. "What are _you _doing up so early?"

It was Hiyori's turn to look guilty. "My hand hurts," she explained dejectedly.

Kirishima wordlessly extended one of his own large palms, and Hiyori obediently placed her hand in it. She tried not to wince as her father inspected her skin, which was swollen and had turned red from the chill of the ice pack.

"What does it feel like?" he asked.

"It hurts."

"Well, that's descriptive."

"It hurts _like a bitch_," Hiyori hissed, jerking her hand away as he gently prodded it.

Kirishima shook his head and clicked his tongue. "I bet you fractured it, or broke it maybe. I broke my wrist once during judo as a kid, so I know how it feels." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Ah, damn. Well, we should probably take you to the hospital."

"I'll just wrap it up," Hiyori said immediately.

Kirishima frowned. "No, we should take you." He rose from the stool and straightened his bathrobe. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Yokozawa's going to break my other hand if he finds out," Hiyori whined. "Please, Papa, I'll just put some ice on it or something."

"Who's breaking _who's _hand, now?" a voice grumbled. Hiyori froze as a bear of a man came striding out of the room Kirishima had exited a few minutes before. Unlike the Kirishimas, who were still in their pajamas, Yokozawa was already dressed in pants and a button down shirt.

"Oniichan!" she squeaked. "Don't you look nice this morning! Isn't that a little fancy for so early on a Saturday?"

"Sales is organizing a book fair today," he growled, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't change the fucking topic, young lady."

"Hiyori thinks she broke her hand," Kirishima offered.

"I'm _fine_!"

Yokozawa looked for a moment as though he was about to get angry, then thought better of it and signed deeply. "Your father had better take you to the hospital."

"But...!" Hiyori protested.

"So stubborn," Kirishima said, rolling his eyes. "Go get dressed, we're leaving in ten."


	2. Hiyori meets an attractive doctor

**Hiyori meets an attractive doctor**

Sure enough, two hours later found Hiyori at the Tokyo Children's Hospital* (she turned 18 at the end of the month). She started at the bright paintings of fish on the walls and tried not to feel mortified that she was here. She had already donned the lead apron and taken a series of x-rays, and was now waiting for the results, occupying herself by a moody staring contest with a painting.

The door opened, and Hiyori turned to observe the doctor as he walked in. Her jaw dropped.

For starters, he had to be the tallest person she'd ever seen...taller than her dad, even... and he cut quite a trim figure in his long white coat. He had a handsome, strong-jawed face and looked pretty young, perhaps only in his early thirties. He pulled up a chair next to her and smiled. Hiyori could do little more than gape as she stared into his kind blue eyes.

"Well, Kirishima-san, I've taken a look at your x-rays. You've fractured your fourth metacarpal."

"Ahh..." Hiyori blinked, still dazzled by his good looks. "Whoops." _Whoops? How old was she? _The student felt her cheeks heating up.

"The good news is, you won't be needing a cast. We'll just put it in a splint and tape these two fingers together, to make sure they stay immobile."

"...Ok," she said, breathlessly extending her hand when the doctor reached for it.

"I'm Dr. Kusama by the way," he said cheerfully. "Are you into boxing by any chance, Kirishima-san?"

"Huh? Oh... no! Umm, why?"

"This kind of injury usually comes from the impact of a clenched fist against a solid mass. In fact, it's nicknamed 'Boxer's Fracture.' I thought you might have gotten the injury playing sports."

Hiyori tore her eyes away and looked at the ground. "No, I punched someone in the face."

The doctor blinked in surprise, but his hands remained steady, setting the splint up. "Ah, I see," he said. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but Hiyori headed him off.

"You can skip the lecture, I already got one from my parents last night."

The doctor chuckled. "I'm in no position to lecture you on that, Kirishima-san." He leaned closer. "Can you keep a secret?"

Hiyori was positive her heart stopped for a moment. She swallowed and tried to keep her composure.

"When I was in college, I once punched a man, too," he confided in her.

_Good looks, that lab coat, and a badass streak? _Hiyori was a goner.

"I'm sure he deserved it!" she said reverently, recalling her teacher's words from yesterday.

"Well," Dr. Kusama laughed again. "Turns out I didn't have anything to worry about."

He had finished wrapping her hand, and gave her instructions on maintaining the splint.

A nurse knocked on the door and stuck her head inside. "Kusama-sensei, you have a visitor at the front desk," she said.

"Thank you," he said, then turned to Hiyori once again. "I can walk you out," he smiled.

Once standing, Hiyori was even more dwarfed by him. "Why did you punch him?" she asked as she followed him down the hallway.

The doctor looked uncomfortable. "Ah, well, you see..."

His words were cut off by their arrival, where a very familiar figure stood leaning against the desk, tapping his fingers impatiently.

"Nowaki!" the man snapped. "You left your bag in the living room _again_."

"Hiro-san!" the doctor's face lit up. "You brought it all the way here for me!"

Hiyori leaned around the tall doctor. "Um... Kamijou-sensei?"

The professor jumped, as though he'd seen a ghost. "Kirishima-kun?" he asked in shock. "What are you doing here?" His face was bright red.

Hiyori wordlessly raised her hand, showing off the new splint. She looked from her professor to her doctor. A dawn of understanding rose across all three of their faces simultaneously.

"Well, I hope you don't think this qualifies you for an extension on your essay," the teacher finally offered, breaking the awkward silence.

"Can't I get a doctor's note?" Hiyori asked hopefully.

"Don't you dare," Hiroki cut Nowaki off as he opened his mouth to respond. "Her left hand works just fine, doesn't it?"

"Dr. Kusama," a nurse called from down the hallway.

The doctor looked between them uncomfortably. "I have to go," he said. "Kirishima-san, please take it easy, and we'll see you in two weeks to have another look at how the bone is setting. Hiro-san, I'll see you tonight."

xxx

***This place is made up. Again, sorry, no time to research like I usually do!**

**Up next: Hiyori makes a sassy gay friend**


	3. Hiyori makes a sassy gay friend

**Hiyori makes a sassy gay friend**

Monday arrived, and Hiyori was feeling a bit apprehensive about a certain morning lecture class.

After only a fleeting moment of debate, she strode up the stairs and settled in her usual chair in the fourth row back, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest.

Sure enough, Kobayashi showed up a minute later, slinking into the classroom as though his entrance would go unnoticed. His eyes flickered instinctively to his old seat, the one directly to Hiyori's right, and he tried to nonchalantly glance about the room—which was difficult, seeing as Hiyori was glaring directly at him the entire time he awkwardly searched for a new place to sit.

Her gaze was broken when a new inhabitant slid into the chair beside her.

"Mind if I sit here?" the newcomer asked as he flashed her a dazzling smile that seemed to light up his good looks. If she wasn't mistaken, he used to sit in the row behind her (he was easy to notice because he was always getting things thrown at him for texting in class).

"It's recently been vacated," she answered.

"Oh, I know," he grinned. "Your showdown was the talk of the town. Too bad it looks like you came off worse from it."

"I'd take a fractured hand over a black eye any day," Hiyori grumbled.

"I should thank you, by the way," the boy said, casually leaning his head into his propped hand and giving her a sidelong glance through his messy blond bangs.

"Huh?"

"Poor bastard had it coming to him. I'm just sorry it wasn't me that had a chance to sock him."

Hiyori was paying full attention to the conversation now. "You have a problem with Kobayashi too?" she asked curiously.

"Well, there's only one reason someone acts like a homophobic dick..." he started.

"Raised by homophobic dicks?"

"Tsk tsk," the boy answered, winking at Hiyori. "Let's use our imagination, now."

"...?"

"He's having an identity crisis, I'll put it that way." The boy's drawl suddenly iced over and his eyes flicked across the room to where Kobayashi was sitting. "Cliché little asshole."

Hiyori groaned. "You're joking me."

"Sweetheart, I couldn't be further from joking," he said seriously.

"How do you know?"

"I made out with him while he was drunk at orientation."

Hiyori had no reply for this.

"Kochi Kazushige," he said, extending his hand. "Everyone calls me Kazu."

"I'm Kirishima Hiyori," she answered, shaking. She wanted to ask him something else, but the demon professor had entered the room and greeted his class by way of slamming his anthology book on the table as a call for silence.

"Get lunch with me after class?" Kazu whispered.

They both ducked as the first eraser of the day flew over their heads and hit the kid sitting behind them, who hadn't been quite fast enough.

Hiyori winked back and nodded.

xxx

**Kazu is based off one of my best friends from college... so please, enjoy his personality, cause it's a handful, let me tell ya.**

**Thanks for the feedback so far!**


	4. Hiyori has a heart to heart

**Hiyori has a heart-to-heart**

Thursday night found Hiyori burning the midnight oil, sitting cross-legged on her bed as she awkwardly tried to type her Lit essay left handed. She heard a quiet knock at her door.

"Come in," she called.

Yokozawa eased open the door and shut it behind him. "Mind if I sit?" he asked.

Hiyori nodded and watched as he settled himself, concealing something behind his back.

"What's that?" she asked.

He wordlessly handed her a paper bag. When she peered inside, she saw her favorite childhood treat from him...macaroons.

"Oniichan..." she started, feeling oddly choked up.

"I'm not condoning what you did or anything," he said gruffly, avoiding eye contact. "This is just a pick me up, because typing like that doesn't look fun."

"Thank you," she said, the corners of her lips turning up into a smile. She waited while Yokozawa fiddled with his cufflinks, seeming as though there was something on his mind.

"Also, I apologize for the way I reacted on Friday," he continued finally. "I just... I don't like seeing you hurt." He paused to clear his throat. "I'm sorry if my presence in your life has made it more... complicated."

"..." Hiyori felt her eyes well with tears, but instead of answering, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around Yokozawa's shoulders. She buried her face against his shirt and tried to communicate all her feelings simply through the power of the hug.

"It's not your fault," she told him firmly. "Either way, your presence in my life is worth any number of fractured meta-whatevers."

He hugged her back, but his energy still felt down. Hiyori pulled away. "Besides, Sorata-chan never would have wanted to hear you speaking that way, so hush. Here, have a macaroon. You'll feel better."

He smiled wryly. "Ok, but just one." They opened the bag and each selected a cookie, Hiyori's pink, Yokozawa's yellow.

"By the way, what have you been doing about taking notes in class?" Yokozawa asked as he chewed.

"It's awful," Hiyori rolled her eyes. "My friend Kazu-chan has been giving me notes for my Lit and English classes, but I don't know anyone in Calculus. I'd better get a tutor before I'm in real trouble, since I have an exam in two weeks."

"If I remember correctly, you can go to the Academic Center, and there's usually students available who tutor for free," Yokozawa said thoughtfully. "It was one of my jobs in college."

"I'll do that tomorrow," Hiyori said, yawning.

"You should get some rest," the man advised. He set the bag of macaroons on her nightstand and stood up.

"Oniichan?"

Yokozawa paused at the door and looked over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"I love you."

He tightened his grip on the doorknob and turned away.

"Are you blushing?" she teased.

"Goodnight," he said simply, and shut the door behind him.

xxx

**Have to admit, I got a little teary while writing this.**


	5. Hiyori finds a calc tutor

**Hiyori finds a calc tutor**

Hiyori sat in the waiting room, anxiously flipping through her calculus textbook. She had always hated math and had only really gotten through high school with Yokozawa helping her, but sadly M University required her to finish a semester of calculus as part of her core requirements.

"Kirishima-san, you can go back now," the desk attendant told her as the previous student exited. "Your tutor is the third desk on the right."

Hiyori picked up her backpack and walked into the back room. A very tall, thin boy with black plastic framed glasses was sitting at the desk waiting, head ducked down as he read over some notes. He looked like he'd missed the last couple haircuts, since the front bangs of his inky black hair were pinned up out of his eyes as he read.

"Ah, hello!" he said, looking up at her arrival and quickly rising from the chair. He tripped slightly as he stood up.

"I'm Kobayashi Naoki," he said, smiling sheepishly as he steadied himself with his left hand and extended his right.

"Kirishima Hiyori," she answered at the same time the boy's sight lighted on her splint. His grin suddenly faded, and there was an awkward silence.

"Sorry I can't shake," she offered. "Kobayashi, you said?"

"It's a common family name. It doesn't mean anything," he said quickly.

"I know." Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you being so awkward?"

"I'm not being—ah, never mind. I'm sorry," he said, self consciously pushing his glasses further up on the bride of his nose.

"No relation to Kobayashi Seiji, I suppose?" Hiyori asked shrewdly.

"No! Well, uh, that is... yeah, he's my cousin," Naoki answered, shoulders slumping.

Hiyori's eyebrows snapped together. "Just my luck," she muttered, before turning on her heel and breezing towards the door.

"Wait!" she heard the tutor cry behind her. She ignored him and kept walking, past the surprised desk attendant and out the front door. Her mind was fuming...what a stupid coincidence! She made it about thirty meters from the building when she felt someone grab her elbow.

"I said wait!" Naoki said, panting slightly from exertion. "I had to clock out, I'm sorry."

"Why did you follow me? Look, I'll just get another tutor," she said, shocked and pissed off at the same time.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again, looking embarrassed.

"That's the third time you've apologized to me," she pointed out in exasperation. "Do you have anything else to say?"

He blushed. "I'm sorry about my cousin. It's just...he's had a really rough time lately..."

"No excuses," she retorted hotly. "Your cousin is a jerk."

"I'm not trying to excuse him!" the tutor said, waving his hands in the air frantically. His glasses had slipped down his nose again, and he pushed them back up.

"Oh?"

"No, I'm just trying to...please, Kirishima-san, I'm not like that at all! I don't agree with what he said to you!" He suddenly bowed to her very low. "Please, excuse my cousin!"

"Stand up!" she hissed. "You're causing a scene!"

Sure enough, for the second time in a week a crowd was gathering around her to watch an argument. They were probably hoping it would end like the last one. She tugged at the boy's shirt before he even had a chance to unfold his long body, and he stumbled obediently behind her as she led him across the green to a bench beneath a tree. She made him sit while she paced back and forth in front of him.

"Listen, Kobayashi-senpai—"

"Call me Naoki," he said, looking nervous. "I don't want to be associated with my cousin in your mind."

Her expression softened slightly. "Ok, Naoki-senpai. I have one question for you, then."

"What's that?"

"Are you good at calculus?"

"Eh?"

"I said, are you good at calculus? Because I haven't been able to take notes all week and I already suck at math to begin with. My gay dad's partner already yelled at me one day and guilt tripped me the next for punching your asshole of a cousin in the face, and I'm not in the mood to fail a class and get shit for that too. There's no way you're the only math nerd on this campus, so if you have a problem with anything I just said, I can find someone else. So... can you tutor me, or not?"

Naoki swallowed hard and stared up at her with wide, open eyes. "I'm good at calculus."

"Good," she answered. "Ok, let's head back then."

"Oh," he said, surprised. "I clocked out already, remember? I thought I was going to have to chase you down for a while. I have another student coming soon, too."

"That's right," she said, cursing herself. "Can we reschedule for early next week then? I really need to get a move on. I have an exam the week after next."

"Are you free Monday?" he asked, blushing for some unknown reason.

"Monday at the same time is fine, then." Hiyori waved her hand and strode away, leaving a dumbstruck Naoki sitting on the bench.

xxx

**I know it's a lot of OCs :/ (kinda hard to write a story any other way for Hiyo. No one from the manga is her age!) but how do we like it so far, friends? I'm also very open to corrections/suggestions. For diehard canon fans, I promise I'm not done with Trifecta yet...**

**Up next, Hiyori and Kazu go out for a night on the town. **


	6. Hiyori goes out for a cocktail

**Warning: underage drinking? Is that even a warning?**

xxx

**Hiyori goes out for a drink **

"Darling," the voice on the phone purred. "I'm on my way to pick you up, so be ready, ok?"

"Kazu-chan! You never told me what we're doing?" Hiyori answered.

"We're going to a bar."

"But neither of us is of age..."

"I know the bartender," Kazu said flatly. "And by I know him, I mean he fucked me last weekend so he owes me one."

"I don't know..."

"Aww c'mon Hiyo-chan," he whined. "Tons of people are going to be there."

"Fine," she relented. "I had better not get...arrested or something. With my recent luck, that's where this is headed."

"I'll make sure you get home safe," he promised. Hiyori knew he was good on his word. He had explained to her earlier that he didn't drink (his father was an alcoholic), but that didn't prevent him from partying nevertheless.

They hung up, and Hiyori finished putting on her makeup before heading down to the train stop where they had agreed to meet. Kirishima and Yokozawa had an event that ran late for Marukawa tonight, so she figured she'd leave in time to beat them back. She leaned against the rail to wait when Kazu snuck up on her from behind.

"Woah," she said, jumping in surprise as he grabbed her arm. "Umm...you look different." While her friend undeniably had a charming face, during class he was usually sported sweats and flip-flops. Tonight, he was decked out in tight jeans and a neon tank top. He gracefully tousled his blond hair and winked at her.

"You didn't expect me to go out without looking good, did you?"

Hiyori sighed. "You always look nice."

"You don't look so bad yourself," he said, giving her a once over. Hiyori hadn't known what to expect, but she dressed up a little, wearing a dark blue dress and heels, also letting her hair out of its usual braids.

She giggled. "I tried to match my splint. I'm worried I'll trip myself in these heels and end up in the hospital again. Not that I'd mind...hey, that reminds me! I'm pretty sure Kamijou-sensei is gay!"

"You didn't know that?" Kazu asked incredulously. "I've had a crush on him all semester, ever since the first time he threw that pen at me. He's got 'excellent lay' written all over him."

"No, I didn't know until recently!"

"Yeah...but wait, what does that have to do with the hospital?" Kazu questioned.

"I'm pretty sure his boyfriend set my splint for me," Hiyori told him, "He walked me to the front desk, and the demon was waiting for him there, saying something about him leaving a bag in the living room. Then my doctor said 'see you later' as he walked out. Plus sensei was...almost _nice_ to me the other day, after I punched Kobayashi."

"What did he look like?"

"Um, pissed off like usual, I guess..."

"No, I meant the boyfriend."

"Oh! Oh my god...unbelievable. Like a model," Hiyori sighed happily. "Want me to break something of yours for you? I've got a pretty mean kick, too...maybe I'd even fracture my foot!"

Kazu threw back his head and laughed. "Nah, I'll pass. But I'd let that demon professor punish me any day..."

"Kazu!"

Their train arrived at their stop, and Kazu cheerfully steered her off and in the direction of a street of bars. Though the sun had gone down, the sidewalks were bustling with people, their loud and cheerful voices filling the autumn air.

They entered the building that Kazu indicated and walked over to the dimly lit bar, which luckily had two empty seats left at the end. The place was stuffed in spite of the relatively early hour, with many more people on the dance floor.

If Hiyori had thought Kazu looked different when she met him outside the train line, it was nothing compared to him now.

He sidled up to the bar and coyly mussed his hair again. Within seconds, the bartender made a beeline to him, setting down a cup of amber liquid and leaning over the counter to whisper in her friend's ear. Kazu whispered back and beamed, but when the bartender turned to assist another patron, the smile dropped from his face immediately.

"Here," he said in a bored tone, pushing the glass at her. "Drink up."

"What is it?"

"Milk," he said, still staring off in the direction of the bartender. "Gosh, why did I ever think he was cute?" He sighed deeply and immediately shifted his attention back to Hiyori, who had swallowed the liquid in one long gulp and was struggling not to cough.

"Tell me about your week," he ordered, ignoring the bartender who returned to set a glass of water down in front of Hiyori, and a beer in front of Kazu. His face remained impassive as he switched glasses and took a sip of the water.

"Nothing much to report," she grumbled, making a face. "Other than this stupid coincidence with my math tutor. Did you know a Kobayashi Naoki?"

Kazu spit out his drink. "Maybe," he said evasively.

Hiyori had known Kazu long enough by now to spot the beginning to a good story. "C'mon!" she wheedled. "Let me guess...you hooked up with him, too! I _knew_ he was gay!"

Kazu shook his head and gave his beautiful laugh again. "I wish. He's absolutely gorgeous."

"_Pardon?_"

"You don't agree?" Kazu looked offended that his taste was being questioned.

"How do I put this nicely... he seems nice enough, but he's kind of a geek, isn't he?"

"Who cares? Have you seen his face? Those cheekbones are to die for."

Hiyori was in disbelief. "How do you even know him? I think he's a couple years older than us. He's my calculus tutor, anyways."

Despite his previous enthusiasm, Kazu looked unwilling to answer. "He's a good guy," he said, the sarcasm suddenly absent from his voice. "He came to pick up Kobayashi—the other one, that is—from my apartment one time."

Hiyori was casually tasting the beer, and froze. "He _what_?"

Kazu shrugged uncomfortably.

"I thought you just made out with him that once!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, well he ended up at my apartment, ok?" Kazu huffed. "Don't worry, nothing happened. By the time I realized how drunk he was, it was too late. I didn't want him to wake up at my place, so I called the most recently dialed person in his cell history to come get him. Naoki showed up. He was really nice about it."

Hiyo was speechless. She was unfamiliar with this side of Kazu—first, his serious tone of voice, and second, his rather noble gesture.

"What?" Kazu asked, blushing under her scrutiny. "I'm not _that_ shameless, you know."

"Do you..._like him?_" she asked.

"What! No!" her friend yelped, waving his hands in the air defensively. "Like I said the other day, I envy you for punching him. Little drunk idiot."

"I meant Naoki-senpai," Hiyo said, sighing. "But that answers my second question."

"For a girl with two daddies, you're kind of clueless, aren't you?" Kazu laughed, eyes narrowing.

"A bit," she grumbled. "Took me forever to realize most 'single' fathers don't have their 'best friend' living in the spare bedroom."

Kazu laughed again, then his expression sobered. "I'll admit it. I found Kobayashi...interesting. We had more in common than I thought."

"You're _nothing_ like that _son of a_—"

Her friend smiled and shrugged dismissively. "I know." His gaze suddenly became fixed on the door. "...You're not going to believe me, but guess who just arrived."

Hoping desperately that her friend was pulling her leg, Hiyori strained her eyes to see through the hazy lighting. Unfortunately, there was no mistaking the cocky stride and bruised jawbone that had just walked through the door.

xxx


	7. Hiyori gets more than she bargained for

**Hiyori gets more than she bargained for**

Kobayashi Seiji had no sooner crossed the threshold than it became abundantly clear he was intoxicated. Not only was he weaving back and forth, he also failed to notice the two people he was probably most anxious to avoid in the whole world were staring directly at him. After only a moment, he disappeared into the crowd.

Kazu was staring after him with a strange look on his face—a cross between concern and frustration. "I should probably follow him," he said uneasily. "He doesn't look so good."

"Why? He's always got a couple friends with him." Hiyori scoffed. Regardless of what her friend had said, she wasn't convinced there was any excuse for Kobayashi's behavior.

Kazu shook his head. "They won't be with him here. This isn't _exactly_ a gay bar, but it's a popular hangout, let's put it that way. I'm worried he'll actually get what he came here for."

"Alright, then," Hiyori sighed. "Let's go." They both stood up and headed towards the dance floor. Hiyori was forced to raise her injured hand above her head to prevent it from being jostled by the throngs of people. It was no use—within moments, she'd lose sight of Kazu, and was unable to push herself through.

After a minute of careful weaving, she made it to the other side of the crowd. "Oh no," she muttered, eyes scanning back and forth. "Where could they have gone?" She spotted a hallway that seemed to lead to a back part of the building and made for it.

Hiyori turned down the hallway, which led to two extremely grimy bathrooms and a back exit door. She poked her head outside, where a few boys were taking a smoke break, but turned back immediately and went into the crowd, thinking she had missed them. Beginning to worry, she tugged her cell phone out of her pocket, only to realize she had no signal inside. She decided to check back at their original seats at the bar, just in case Kazu was looking for her, too, and had retraced their steps.

Unfortunately, her seat was otherwise occupied by a figure wearing a black leather jacket. She tapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, have you seen a blond boy?" she asked, and he turned around to answer.

"Kirishima-san?"

"Naoki-senpai?" she said in disbelief. Sure enough, it was her clumsy calculus tutor. He had been leaning on his elbows over the bar, but as he straightened up to address her, his figure became more recognizable under the leather jacket. He peered down at her from between long bangs, which he'd freed from the pins. Hiyori wasn't sure if it was the dim lighting, the wardrobe change, or her previous conversation to Kazu...but for some reason, she was struck by how attractive his face was. He had high cheekbones and elegantly shaped eyes, opened wide in surprise behind his eyeglasses.

"Are you alright?" he asked immediately. "You're looking for someone?"

"I got lost chasing _your_ damn cousin..."

"Seiji's here? I was just asking the bartender if he'd come in tonight," Naoki said, standing up. "Why were you chasing him? Did he say something else to you?"

"No, no," Hiyori clarified. "I'm here with my friend Kazu-chan. We saw your cousin come in, drunk as anything, and tried to follow him before he did something stupid."

"You were trying to help him?" Naoki stared at her. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

"It was Kazu's idea," she muttered. "Come on, we can look for them together. Let's do another turn around the place."

Naoki reached out and took her by the hand. "So we don't get separated," he explained, then tugged her through the crowd before she could protest. He looked back over his shoulder frequently to check that she was still there. "This is my fault," he said apologetically. "We were supposed to have dinner, and I said something stupid, not realizing he'd been drinking before I met up with him. I guessed he might go here, but I checked another bar on the way first."

They reached the back wall of the bar again. Naoki immediately dropped her hand and looked to her expectantly. "Where did you look already?" he asked.

She led him towards the hallway. "Down here, but I couldn't find them."

Naoki walked to the end of the corridor. "Did you try outside?"

"Yes, but—"

He had already opened the door, and sure enough, Kazu was leaned up against the wall outside, supporting a nearly unconscious Seiji.

"Naoki-san! Hiyo!" he exclaimed as they exited the building. "Hiyo, I texted you! Did you get my message? He was throwing up, so I took him to the bathroom."

She shook her head. "No cell service. You must have been in there when I walked around the first time."

Naoki had quickly moved to relieve Kazu of his cousin's weight. Seiji cracked an eye open, and, upon seeing Naoki, turned away and wrapped his arms around Kazu's neck. He began to weep.

"Oh gosh," Hiyori said, shocked. She had to admit, the imagine of Kobayashi, disheveled and crying with a fading bruise on his face, was pathetic enough to satisfy any lingering desire of hers for vengeance. "What's wrong with him?"

"It's a long story," Naoki said, taking a step away from his cousin. "I'm so sorry, you deserve an explanation, but I'll have to fill you in later. I need to get him home."

"I don't want to go home!" Seiji sobbed, clinging harder to Kazu.

"You can stay at my place, Sei-chan," Naoki said kindly, moving to extricate him again. He only cried harder.

Kazu cleared his throat. "Listen, he's welcome to stay at my apartment. I live alone, so he won't be in the way. I'll set him up on the couch. He might need a night away from the family."

Naoki looked unhappy. "I feel terrible," he said. "I don't want to impose on you."

Kazu laughed dryly. "I think it's about time we had a chat anyways."

Naoki silently retrieved his wallet from his jacket pocket. "Here's money for a cab," he said. "I'll borrow my friend's car and pick him up in the morning."

Hiyori was watching this entire exchange silently.

"Ah, wait," Kazu said, suddenly remembering his friend. "I promised Hiyo I'd see her home safe. We might have to rethink this."

"I'll make sure she gets there," Naoki assured him.

"I can go by myself," Hiyori said automatically.

"You shouldn't ride the train alone so late," Kazu said, and the taller boy nodded in agreement.

"We can talk on the way there," Naoki added.

Hiyori's curiosity battled with her stubbornness, and won.

"Alright," she agreed, sighing heavily. The students all headed for the street, exiting around the side of the building instead of making their way through the crowd inside again.

Seiji was almost properly passed out by the time Kazu got him in a cab.

There was an awkward silence as Hiyori found herself alone with her calculus tutor once again. They fell into step besides one another as they wordlessly headed for the train line, just in time to catch the last one.

"I'll take a cab from your place to mine," the boy said preemptively.

"Right," Hiyori said.

Naoki heaved another big sigh. "I'm sorry. Oh, damn. I'm sorry, I apologized again."

Hiyori smiled. "_You_ don't have anything to apologize for."

"I want you to know, this isn't an excuse for Seiji," he began. "Just...so you know. His family—our family—is very traditional. Our fathers are brothers, and my uncle is...well, he's a drunk. I'm pretty close to Seiji, but as you can tell, he's hard to talk to. When he was a sophomore in high school, he came to me one day and said he thought he might be gay, but he was worried about that the family would say. I told him not to say anything until he was financially independent, and it's a good thing he didn't. A few months later, his father was caught having an affair with a man. An unfortunate irony." He smiled bitterly.

"The family was in total turmoil," he continued. "Seiji and his mother moved in with us, but the house was getting crowded so I moved into my own apartment as soon as I started school and started working as a tutor. I...I really love Seiji, so it's been particularly hard to watch how hard he took the news. Who can blame him? He had already felt self-conscious, and then to have something like that happen...he hates his father, and over the last few years, he's begun to hate himself. It causes him to be cruel sometimes. He wasn't always like that.

"I think Seiji and Kazu-san related a lot over their fathers when they met. Your friend told me a great deal when I picked my cousin up that time. That's why I left him today, when I wouldn't normally. Maybe he can talk some sense into him."

Hiyori sucked in her breath sharply and turned to look up at Naoki. He smiled sadly at her as he peered down through his glasses. He wasn't quite as tall as her doctor had been the other day, but his thinness made his height seem greater. They both rested in silence as Hiyori mulled over the news.

"I owe you an apology," she said finally.

"Me?" Naoki asked, looking genuinely startled.

"For calling you a nerd."

"But I am a nerd," Naoki said, confused. "Seiji was always the cool one."

"Nah, I take it back. The leather jacket changed my image of you," she told him.

"...It's Seiji's. He left it at the first place we went to, so I put it on to carry it. I forgot I was even wearing it," Naoki admitted ruefully.

By this time, they had arrived in front of Hiyori's apartment complex. Her feet were killing her and she was exhausted.

"Thanks for walking me," she said begrudgingly.

Naoki put his hands in his pockets nervously. "It was the least I could do." He smiled tentatively.

She couldn't help it—she smiled back. As soon as she caught herself, her eyebrows snapped to a frown again, but it was too late...Naoki looked mildly cheerful, if not surprised. She cleared her throat and forced herself to continue.

"Also...I think you're a good cousin. I hope everything works out with your family." Spontaneously, she stood on her tiptoes and pulled Naoki down by his jacket collar to kiss him on the cheek.

The two froze for a moment as Hiyori took stock of Naoki's expression. She had only meant it as a friendly gesture, but when the shock gave way and his face split into a delighted, silly grin, she suddenly felt the pressing urge to spin around and sprint the last few steps to her apartment building without saying goodbye.

She continued running up the stairs and fumbled in her purse for her keys, her heart beating faster than strictly necessary for the amount of energy she was exerting. She quickly opened the door and stumbled into the genken, kicking off her heels and willing her heart to stop pounding. After a moment, she made her way down the hallway. She had nearly reached her room when she noticed the living room light on.

Hiyori turned in horror to see Kirishima and Yokozawa sitting on the couch, both with their arms crossed over their chest.

"Welcome home," Kirishima said casually. "Care to explain where the _fuck_ you've been?"

xxx

**More Trifecta up next.**


	8. Hiyori gets lectured

**Hiyori gets lectured**

The following conversation was, in all honesty, one of the most excruciating she'd had to date. Hiyori wasn't used to getting in trouble (she never really went through a rebellious stage), and she had to admit that the setup looked bad...the heels, the smell of booze, and the fact that she hadn't picked up Kirishima's calls, since her phone hadn't had service.

The three relocated to the kitchen as Hiyori did her best to explain. Kirishima sat beside her at the dinner table, sharp gaze never leaving her face, while Yokozawa made tea.

"Well, I have this friend," Hiyori started. "My friend is sort of involved with this guy."

"Your _friend_, eh?" Kirishima said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, my friend," Hiyori repeated hesitantly. "Anyway...the guy my friend likes, he's really messed up. Has problems with drinking, in addition to some other stuff. We saw him while we were out and followed him to make sure he didn't get into trouble. We were trying to sort him out, so that's why I'm home so late."

"Let me get this straight," Kirishima said. "You were out, saw some drunk kid go into a bar and for some _inconceivable reason_ followed him?"

Yokozawa's head snapped up when Kirishima said this, but he remained silent.

"Yes," Hiyori answered, voice quavering.

Kirishima banged both his fists on the table as his expression turned dangerously stormy. "Unacceptable," he hissed. "_Your friend_ had better forget all about this guy, and _your friend_ had better forget about ever entering a bar until she's of age _ever again_."

"I know, that's what I told him—wait, what?" Hiyori paused and ran the conversation through her mind again. "You know I'm talking about Kazu-chan, right?"

Kirishima still hadn't unclenched his fists. "Huh?"

"My friend Kazu," Hiyori repeated.

Across the table, Yokozawa chuckled wryly. "Save _that_ lecture for another day, Zen."

Kirishima looked slightly mollified. "What do you mean 'sorted him out'?" he asked.

"Kazu took him back to his apartment."

"Still doesn't explain why you were at a bar in the first place," Yokozawa pointed out, sternly gazing over the rim of his mug.

"I just wanted to hang out with my friend. I didn't mean for anything crazy to happen. I'm sorry!" Hiyori implored.

"You're grounded," Kirishima said, standing up abruptly.

"Grounded?!" Hiyori hung her head in shame. All the events of the night were too much, and a tear slid down her cheek.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It was admirable to want to take care of a friend," Yokozawa told her, "but you can't let _their_ problems put you in a bad situation. You know better, Hiyo."

"You're still grounded," Kirishima reprimanded, grasping desperately at his resolve in the face of his tearfully apologetic daughter. "Damn, I can't even think of what punishment to give you. You already do your chores and your homework. Just...don't do that again, ok? Seriously, no bars. And keep your damn phone on."

"I'll be on my best behavior," Hiyori promised.

"I know you will," Kirishima sighed. "Get yourself cleaned up and go to bed. We'll talk more tomorrow. I'm glad you got home safe, Hiyo-chan."

Hiyori washed her face one handed and changed out of her dress. Though she was dead tired, she lay in bed for a long while. She had a lot to think about...but most of all, she contemplated how lucky she was. It wasn't that she took her life for granted—she was nothing if not loving and appreciative of her family—but it was a rare occasion when the depth of her good fortune truly hit home.

That night, Hiyori felt an overwhelming amount of gratitude and humility for growing up with not just one amazing father, but two.

xxx


	9. Hiyori has a conversation, or 3

**Hiyori has a conversation (or 3)**

On Monday, Kobayashi did not show up to Intro to Japanese Lit.

However, Kazu did, ducking in the door just in the knick of time and quickly sliding into his seat next to Hiyori.

She gave him questioning look, which he returned with a quick shake of his head. The hour-long lecture period felt interminable as they waited for the bell to ring.

Finally, class let out, and the two friends automatically set off walking towards the food court. They kept the conversation casual, chatting about the book their next paper was on, until they sat down with their lunches.

"Well?" Hiyori asked, poking at her bento with her chopsticks. "How'd it go?"

Kazu heaved a deep sigh. "It wasn't pretty. He spent most of cab ride alternating between crying and trying to hook up with me, but once we got to my place, I made him some tea and just let him sober up. Then we talked for a while."

"Why wasn't he in class today?" Hiyori asked curiously.

"He was visiting his dad is Sapporo, I think his flight got in this morning."

"You're joking!" she said in disbelief.

Kazu shook his head. "He's still pretty angry, but he went to try and talk, at least. "

"You know," Hiyori began, frowning. "I was thinking about you a lot over the weekend. And I realized... I feel bad for Kobayashi, but being involved with him... I don't know, Kazu. I don't want you in a bad situation."

Kazu reached out and yanked one of her braids. "Thanks babe," he said, smiling. "I've decided, I'm just going to be there as a friend for him right now. Too many issues, ugh. I don't do high maintenance."

"You still like him, don't you?" she said astutely.

"You're getting more perceptive, aren't you?" he countered. "Yeah, but I recognize he's got stuff to deal with. My self-restraint is good. How's yours?"

"Eh?"

"C'mon...how was your walk home with Naoki-san? Please _please_ let me live out my hot tutor/student fantasy vicariously through you."

Hiyori blushed furiously. "Nothing to report, you horn dog. He just walked me home."

"Awww...he didn't even kiss you goodnight?"

Hiyori turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Whoa, I was just trying to get a rise out of you...wait, seriously, did something happen?" Kazu sounded ecstatic.

"I kissed him on the cheek as a thank you. That's it." She tried her best to say this nonchalantly, but her ears were burning.

"You lucky bitch, I can't believe you got to be so close to his amazing face. I hate you."

This comment earned Kazu a smack on the shoulder. "What am I going to do with you," Hiyori laughed.

xxx

Hiyori had some time to kill before her tutoring appointment, so she decided to sit on one of the benches outside in the sunshine and get a head start of the next book in the Lit curriculum. She was enjoying the late autumn sunshine when a shadow fell across the page.

Kobayashi Seiji stood before her, looking exhausted. "Do you have a minute?" he asked simply.

Hiyori bit her lip. "Yes, I have a minute."

He sat on the bench next to her. As Hiyo studied his face, she was glad to see the bruise had gone green and yellow around the edges, a sign of healing.

"I've made a fool out of myself twice in front of you, now," he commented, not looking at her.

"That's true."

"I guess I owe you an apology."

"I'm listening."

"...I'm sorry," Kobayashi said. "I was trying to joke around, and I took it too far. I always do that."

"It's not easy having two fathers," Hiyori told him, speaking honestly. "All during high school, I stayed in the closet about my family per their request. But when I went to college, I decided I'd had enough. I was done dodging awkward questions." She turned to face him directly. "It's not a joke," she told him. "These are people's lives, here. Your dad sounds like a piece of work, but that doesn't give you a free pass to be mean."

"I guess." Kobayashi looked at her uncomfortably. "I really am sorry I broke your hand, too."

"_I_ broke my hand," Hiyori corrected, smiling. "I suppose I should apologize for punching you now?"

"You don't have to," the boy said, eying her uncertainly.

"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't know the whole story, and regardless I should have just walked away. I hope everything works out with your family."

Kobayashi shrugged. "I don't want your pity. I had it coming. Are we good?"

"Yeah, we're good."

Kobayashi stood, and Hiyori watched him walk away with mixed feelings.

xxx

Naoki had his bangs pinned back again, and wore a loose fitting black t-shirt. Nevertheless, when Hiyori walked up to the desk and set her calculus book down, she realized the damage was done—all she could focus on were his cheekbones.

"Good afternoon, Kirishima-san," he rose from his chair until she sat down, but knocked his calculator over in the process. "Ah, let's start with derivatives, shall we?"

"Huh?"

"Derivatives?" he repeated. "You have an exam on them next week, right?"

"Right..." Hiyori sat down and opened her book warily. Wasn't he going to mention anything about seeing her before?

To her surprise, Naoki dove right into the lesson, copying the formulas she would need on the corner of the page and giving her a variety of practice problems to complete (she had gotten quite adept at writing left handed) while he watched and made suggestions.

However, Hiyori spent the hour multi-tasking, diligently filling out her work while also observing Naoki out of the corner of her eye. During the course of their tutoring session, he dropped his calculator twice more and accidentally knocked all his pencils off the desk. He blushed in embarrassment, but didn't apologize.

Finally, enough was enough. As Naoki rooted around on the floor for his eraser, Hiyori made up her mind. When he straightened, she looked him directly in the eye and held up a finger to shush him before he started talking math again.

"Want to get dinner this week? I'm asking you out, just to be clear, here."

"You're asking me out?" he asked, not daring to hope he had heard her correctly.

"Yup."

All the nervousness seemed to drain from Naoki's posture, and his smile couldn't possibly have been any wider. "Ok," he beamed.

xxx

**Hiyori asking Naoki out is a tribute to her mother, Sakura.**

**Well, looks like this story wasn't particularly popular, but hey...it was in my head, so I figured I'd keep posting! I know I originally said nine, but I think I'll do one last, very brief chapter. The next chapter will definitely be the last of this story, and the last I post, period :/. Any feedback would be lovely, friends... and otherwise, thanks for reading!**


	10. Hiyori comes clean

**Hiyori comes clean**

"Oniichan, can I ask you about something?"

"Mmmhmm?" Yokozawa nodded offhandedly as he stirred the rice while double-checking the curry recipe.

"How do you think Papa would react if I invited a boy over for dinner?"

The world's rotation came grinding to a halt. "If you _WHAT?_" he exclaimed.

"Ah, theoretically, that is," Hiyori corrected, nervously reaching over to steady a pot which Yokozawa had nearly knocked over.

The salesman was taking deep breaths in and out as he gripped the edge of the counter to keep from falling over.

"...Who is he? What's he like?" he finally asked in a defeated tone.

Hiyori had taken over stirring the rice. "His name is Naoki. He's a very kind person, and sort of endearingly nerdy. He's really good at math, he's my calculus tutor."

Yokozawa looked up, surprised. "That doesn't sound like either of us," he muttered under his breath.

"Eh?"

"Ah, nothing. I'm...I'm sure your father would love to meet him," the man said, ignoring the feeling that his heart was about to stop working. "Well, that's a lie, but I'll talk to him first."

"If it's ok, maybe he could come over and we could cook," Hiyori said tentatively.

"Unless you're planning on serving 'unpeeled apple', I'd keep your father out of the kitchen," Yokozawa warned.

"I meant you and I," Hiyori said, laughing. She paused. "Wait, you're not thinking something stupid are you? When he comes, he's meeting _both _of you, or he's not coming at all."

"..."

"Oh, Oniichan," Hiyori sighed. She stood on tiptoes and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Who else is going to keep Papa in line?"

Yokozawa snorted. "That's a tall order," he told her. "But I'll be there, if you want me to be."

Hiyo kissed him on the cheek. "Absolutely," she answered.

xxx

**That's it, friends. Thank you so, so much for reading, and especially to those who took the time to review. I had quite a long last few months, and can't describe how wonderful it was to find an audience for all the voices in my head ****. **

**I'll keep my accounts open, just in case anyone wants to reread the stories I've posted. Who knows...maybe I'll even get internet every once in a while?**

**But for now...on to the next great adventure!**

**ika**


End file.
